Special Ones
by Lauryn R
Summary: In a small, cosy tavern hidden in the heart of the civilian district of Konoha, Naruto finds his solace in music. One night, after having noticed Naruto's odd disappearances after missions, Sasuke decides to follow him. Not entirely sure what he's expecting to find, Sasuke is surprised, and more than a little rattled at witnessing a side of Naruto no one knew existed. Sasu/Naru.


Hi All. This is the first chapter of my story 'Special Ones'

Eventually this story will lead to Sasuke and Naruto getting together and they will be in character for the most part, or magnified versions of their natural characters anyways. This chapter isn't super long, sorry. The following ones will be, however.

The lyrics of the song that Naruto is singing is a little strange to read, but when you hear the song itself, it's really great. It's called 'Special Ones' and is sung by Katie Noonan from the band George. Also, I'm Australian; I use Australian terminology and spelling, so I hope that doesn't confuse too many people. Enjoy the story!

* * *

Deep onyx eyes slowly traced the length of the small, cobbled building. Hidden beneath layers of thick, green vines that spidered their way along the rough edges of the cottage, the structure practically sank into an invisible chasm. Inching closer, Sasuke considered the events that had led him to his current position outside a nondescript building deep in the heart of the civilian district of Konoha. He'd noticed over the past several months that the dobe would often disappear immediately upon their return from missions. Something was different about Naruto; his loud, obnoxious hellos and goodbyes, whilst still enthusiastic, had tapered down to a more tolerable level. It wasn't a very noticeable difference to most, but Sasuke had known the hyperactive ninja for eight years and the lack of flamboyance that usually characterised the young man's personality had somewhat diminished lately. Sasuke hadn't quite been able to put his finger on it until now and, to be honest, he wasn't really sure what he thought he'd find when he decided to follow his friend. He certainly hadn't thought he'd end up in front of a run down cottage in the middle of the civilian sector.

Edging toward the open window at the side of the building, Sasuke, with his chakra hidden, levered himself up along the window's ledge. The night was pitch black, his body disappearing into the background as his full-length ANBU uniform swallowed him into the surrounding darkness.

Eyes widening almost imperceptibly, Sasuke took in the sight of Naruto sitting poised on a wooden stool centered in the middle of a low stage. With one leg bent at the knee, foot loosely resting on the rung beneath and the other planted firmly on the ground, Naruto supported on his thigh an acoustic guitar of deep mahogany. Gone were the bright orange clothes, which Naruto insistently wore when off duty, replaced now by leg hugging black jeans, a deep maroon muscle top, and a loose black leather jacket. His feet were covered by a pair of old school black converse shoes, the laces knotting only half way up. Whilst adorned in his typical orange regalia and hitai-ate or hidden behind the falcon mask of his ANBU disguise, Sasuke had failed to notice Naruto's sun kissed coloured hair had grown long enough that it curled under his ears when tucked behind them. His fringe had grown long too, highlighting his angular jaw and defined cheeks. There was a masculine handsomeness in place of the youthful roundness that had once characterized Naruto's face. His eyes were sharp and focused and bled a molten azure blue in the soft light of the old tavern. Was this really the same Naruto that Sasuke worked beside almost day in and day out?

XoXo

Gently, Naruto began to pluck the strings of his guitar, building up a rhythm as he made percussive sounds between the harmonics of his chords. Slowly at first, and then with more intensity, the sounds began to permeate the small tavern with an earthy vibration.

Then Naruto opened his mouth and began to sing along to the blues and roots sound of his guitar…

…Isn't it funny how you never really screamed at my face,

But your anger so unspoken and un-channelled

Permeates my essence to the point where I,

Don't want to see you, hear you, be anywhere near you

You probably think I'm threatened by you,

But your illusionary power doesn't threaten me…

Naruto looked out over the small crowd of civilians vibing along to his sound, his eyes not focused outwardly but rather, directed inwards as images flashed across his mind's eye. Images of Sasuke turning his back to him, always walking away with little more that a barely discernable 'Hn'. Sasuke, as he leant over him in the pouring rain, droplets of water falling from his face as he left Naruto to die after their battle at the Valley of the End. The sheer hatred that slowly ripped Sasuke apart before Naruto's eyes, with no knowing of when he'd finally succumb to it. Sasuke. Always Sasuke.

A fierce frustration edged its way into Naruto's voice, colouring it with the despair and anger he'd felt throughout the five long years his best friend had been gone. Thoughts of an arrogant, young Uchiha as he condescendingly mocked Naruto when they were genins. The pain he'd felt then, the pain he still felt now…

He sang on…

…Actually I think it's kind of funny that you create an illusion that is a mirror,

I don't appreciate you and I know that that surprises you

I suppose you see that those who follow their heart always win,

Those with integrity have won the match before it's begun

So rather than being kicked around, I'm going to kick you to the curb

Rather than being pushed around, I'm going to push you away first

So rather than trying to protect you, I'm going to cover my bases first

Rather than trying to open my heart, I'm going to lock it with a key

So that only the special ones, so that only the special ones, can ever get through to me

Naruto closed his eyes as the emotions burned through his veins and quickened the beat of his heart with a painful thud. His eyes burned with moisture that strained to escape. He wasn't going to let his heart weaken and his tears fall.

XoXo

Outside, sitting rigidly still on the window's ledge, Sasuke stared unblinkingly at Naruto's form as he plucked and tapped the strings of his guitar in rhythmic succession. His body did not betray the storm that was beginning to rage inside his mind. His muscles were wound tight as he digested the words that slipped from Naruto's mouth with obvious anguish. Those words were for him, were about him. Naruto's outrageously happy face each day hid a well of emotions involving Sasuke's person that he'd never even suspected existed. Certainly he knew that all they'd been through, all they'd struggled with had been hard on Naruto, but he'd never realised that Naruto had such deeply rooted feelings about their past. He listened on…

…Some can see beyond their barrier of threshold whereas others can't see beyond their sculpted mould,

You could offer me nothing, you could offer me nothing that I need,

Do you think I'm asking too much?

A kind of respect and trust that shouldn't even be questioned,

How can I open my heart with dishonesty sitting next to me?

I've honoured your honour to the point of embarrassment,

But innocence in the hands of the guilt-free, is kicked to, is kicked to the curb,

I was ashamed of my innocence,

I was ashamed of my innocence but now with clarity I see that your bullshit is just not worthy of me!

Sasuke inwardly flinched at the rawness he heard in Naruto's voice, the sheer anger, the resentment, the bitterness that strangled every word he sung. Naruto had always tried to live up to some invisible, some unspoken, standard that he felt existed between the two of them. In Naruto's eyes Sasuke harboured no respect for the young ninja. Of course, on a professional level Naruto knew that Sasuke now considered them equal, but Sasuke could not remain ignorant to the realisation that Naruto was referring to a personal respect that he must have felt they'd lacked. Things had changed since Naruto had brought Sasuke back to Konoha, but something in Naruto's voice spoke of feelings that were still buried beneath the surface of their friendship, and a pain that was still attached to the past despite their personal progress. How could he have missed this? How could he have not registered Naruto's turmoil before now?

Refocusing his thoughts on the man on the stage, Sasuke continued to listen…

…So rather than being kicked around, I'm going to kick you to the curb

Rather than being pushed around, I'm going to push you away first

So rather than trying to protect you, I'm going to cover my bases first

Rather than trying to open my heart, I'm going to lock it with a key,

So that only the special ones can ever get through to me!

Naruto remembered the constant pain and heartache he'd felt throughout those years he'd chased Sasuke. He felt again the cold tendrils of hopelessness and helplessness that had often overwhelmed him, threatening to strangle the life from his heart each time Sasuke ran further from the village, from him. He'd thought, had hoped, that their friendship, such as it was when they were genins, was strong enough to overcome Sasuke's desire to kill his brother and avenge his clan. But most of all, Naruto felt angry at himself for having realised that he'd loved him then and knowing that he still loved him now…

…Cause I don't, cause I don't want to be angry.

I don't want to be angry.

I don't want to be angry.

I don't want to be angry, angry, angry!

This is not worthy of me

And now with clarity I see

That I can walk away,

I will walk away!

Suddenly all sound abruptly stopped. The silence that rang painfully through the warm tavern was deafening. Taking a deep breath, his fingers hovering just above his now silent strings, Naruto let his voice gently travel along the air in an almost silent, melodic whisper. He knew what he needed to do…

…So rather than being kicked around, I'm going to kick you to the curb

Rather than being pushed around, I'm going to push you away first

Rather than trying to protect you, I'm going to have to cover my bases first

Rather than trying to open my heart, I'm going to lock it with a key

So that only the special ones, so that only my special ones…

Can ever get through to me.

It was done now. It was over. That was the last time he'd indulge his feelings for his best friend. He couldn't go on like this, wouldn't go on like this. He needed to move past what he felt, for his sake, and for Sasuke's. Sasuke wouldn't ever know, couldn't ever know the painful yearnings of his secret heart. Their friendship was intricately threaded around years of shared painful experiences and oftentimes wordless conversations. They had an understanding of each other that went beyond the general trivialities of day-to-day life, which was only enhanced further by their lives as shinobi and their careers in ANBU. They were twenty years old now and eight years had been a long time, too long, to harbour feelings for a man who could never return them, should never return them.

XoXo

Sasuke was shaken down to his core. His body felt achingly cold despite the warm summer air. What was happening? Part of him wished he could go back to earlier that evening – before he'd followed Naruto – to un-know what he now knew. He wasn't exactly sure what it was he now knew, but whatever it was…it was heavy, intense. The other part of him, though, was glad he'd come, glad he'd silently tracked Naruto to this indistinct little pub. He wasn't an emotional person and his friendship with Naruto, whilst being the most important bond he had, wasn't emotional either. Passionate yes, but emotional? It still astounded him that Naruto was so affected by him. He wasn't sure what to do with that. What could he do? Perhaps it would be best to leave it alone. Naruto had clearly communicated with each word that, whatever it was, he'd wanted it to end. He needed to think. He needed to get out of here. Edging soundlessly down from the window on which he'd been perching, Sasuke disappeared into the blackness that surrounded him, heading for the empty Uchiha compound.

Naruto felt raw, stripped bare to his soul. He'd being coming here for months now, singing to these good folk of Konoha, whom didn't know him from a bar of soap. At first, he'd ventured into the civilian district, wanting to have a life separate from that of his ninja existence. As time went on, he found that he liked the atmosphere of the little tavern situated so innocently in the hustle and bustle of every day Konhoa. The building with its rough, stone walls, all shrouded in vines that overwhelmed the place, was inviting and warm. So too were the people. And they liked his music. He came two to three nights a week and strummed his guitar along to offbeat little folk and indie numbers. He enjoyed doing it and the patrons enjoyed him doing it. Tonight, however, he sang a song he'd composed himself. It was raw with emotion, and though his fellow patrons clapped enthusiastically as they always did when he sang, they too knew something was different. There was a seriousness to him that wasn't usually present. In this world, hidden away from the life he had to live each day, he could be the person he felt he'd grown into, the person that, whilst still happy in general, was more laid back, more calm, rather than the hyperactive and childish person of his youth. He was a more mellow, controlled version of his former self, aided by his ascension into ANBU, and he liked it.

Waving goodbye to his friends, Naruto silently made his way out of the little hide-away that he'd been occupying for the last hour and slowly walked back to his empty apartment and back to the life that was becoming increasingly hard to convince himself he was part of.

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So, this was the first chapter of my story (obviously). I toyed with the idea of writing this at first because, to be honest, I don't have a great deal of spare time as I'm currently in the last 6 weeks of my archaeology degree and when I'm not in classes or doing assignments, I'm out in the field and away from anything that even remotely resembles living civilisation. But, I thought I'd finally write something that wasn't a bloody academic paper for once as a bit of a breather. I don't really believe that a write should finish a story/upload following chapters based on reviews…that's sort of like emotional blackmail haha. So, regardless of reviews, I'm going to upload because I want to share my story with people, and for myself too. Obviously I'm happy to get reviews as they are encouraging, but please limit yourselves to constructive criticism. Abusive, vulgar insults achieve nothing and aren't needed. Anyways…I'll be leaving in less than 48 hours for field work, so I am not entirely sure when I'll upload again, but I shan't imagine that it'll take more than a few weeks for my next chapter. Sorry for the massive A/N. Anyways, Take care!


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